Rahul Gandhi’s advocate highlighted the complainant’s lineage in the case with Savarkar and the Godse families, mentioning how his influence can be misused. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday claimed that he may “face harm, wrongful implication” over his recent political battles and due to the lineage of the complainant in the defamation case against him.
The development came during the ongoing criminal defamation case filed against Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on Veer Savarkar. Advocate Milind Pawar, who filed the application before the Pune court for the Congress leader, highlighted that Rahul Gandhi has been termed a “terrorist” by BJP leader RN Bittu. He reportedly added that BJP leader Tarvinder Marwah also issued an open threat to Gandhi, saying that he must “behave well else he may face the same fate like his grandmother”.
Pointing out complainant Satyaki’s lineage in the case with Savarkar and the Godse families, Pawar mentioned how his influence can be misused. “In light of the documented history of violent and anti-constitutional tendencies linked to the complainant’s lineage, and considering the prevailing political climate, there exists a clear, reasonable, and substantial apprehension that Gandhi may face harm, wrongful implication, or other forms of targeting by persons subscribing to the ideology of Vinayak Savarkar,” LiveLaw reported, citing the application.
It further mentioned that while the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha has complete faith in the judiciary, it is important that the court remains conscious of the influences, forces and extraordinary circumstances surrounding Gandhi.
“The complainant himself has asserted descent from the associates of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassins. In view of the grave history associated with such lineage, the Defence harbours a genuine and reasonable apprehension that history must not be permitted to repeat itself. It is also necessary to note that the ideology of Hindutva, followed by the complainant’s ideological forebears, has in several instances assumed political power through unconstitutional means,” Gandhi’s application further reads. It further alleged that followers of such ideology have previously spread animosity over caste and religion, manipulated electoral processes, among other things.
“Gandhi, in his constitutional capacity as Leader of the Opposition, is standing against such policies and raising his voice for the poor and marginalised. Accordingly, it cannot be ruled out that caste-based extremists, politically motivated industrialists, Hindutva supporters, and those willing to subvert constitutional governance may harbour animosity towards the Accused,” the plea was further cited by LiveLaw.
Satyaki Savarkar reportedly filed a defamation case against Rahul Gandhi after he made a speech in London in March 2023, where he referred to an incident in Savarkar’s writings, citing that Savarkar and others purportedly assaulted a Muslim man and found ‘pleasure’ in it. The complainant has disputed the existence of such a writing in Savarkar’s works, moving the court to contend that Rahul Gandhi’s remarks were misleading and defamatory.
